Golf

¡El campo de juego Marco Simone Golf & Country Club en Italia, anfitrión del prestigioso torneo Ryder Cup celebrado la semana pasada, estalló en llamas el jueves cuando una estructura en el campo se incendió!

El incendio, que se originó en una suite de tres plantas, se produjo menos de una semana después de que cientos de miles de aficionados abarrotaran el campo para presenciar el famoso torneo de golf de Roma, dominado por los europeos.

El humo negro se podía ver a kilómetros de distancia y varios bomberos se apresuraron a llegar al lugar para combatir las llamas.

"Un incendio fue reportado en una de las estructuras temporales del ala derecha de la primera calle en el Marco Simone Golf & Country Club a primera hora de esta tarde", escribió la Ryder Cup Europa en un comunicado.

"Los bomberos locales fueron llamados al lugar de los hechos a las 17:07 hora local y rápidamente controlaron el incendio".

A pesar de lo mal que pintaban las cosas, nadie resultó herido.

Las autoridades también dicen que no hubo daños en el campo de golf, excepto por el edificio temporal que fue envuelto en llamas.

Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Italy, the host of last week's prestigious Ryder Cup golf tourney, erupted in flames on Thursday as a structure on the course caught fire!

The fire, which started in a three-story hospitality suite, happened less than a week after hundreds of thousands of fans packed the course to watch the famed golf tourney in Rome, dominated by the Europeans.

Billowing black smoke could be seen miles away ...  as multiple firefighters rushed to the scene and began battling the blaze.

“A fire was reported in one of the temporary hospitality structures to the right of the first fairway at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club earlier this afternoon,” Ryder Cup Europe wrote in a statement.

“Local fire crews were called to the scene at 5:07 PM local time and quickly brought the blaze under control."

Despite how bad things looked, no one was injured, most importantly.

Authorities also say there was no damage to the golf course ... outside of the temporary building that was engulfed in flames.

It's a tough time to be a Blazers fan, but NBA champ Byron Scott thinks Portland should be HAPPY after Damian Lillard got traded to the Bucks ... 'cause he's finally got a chance to win!!

TMZ Sports caught up with the former Laker out at KiKi Shepard's "Celebrity Golf Classic" this week ... and chopped it up about the blockbuster deal that sent Dame Time over to Giannis Antetokounmpo's squad.

Of course, it's a huge bummer for Portland fans to see their franchise player leave after 11 seasons ... but instead of taking the torches to their No. 0 jerseys, Byron believes it would be best to look at the silver lining by rooting for Lillard to get a championship with his new team.

"I think, obviously, Damian joining the Bucks -- a team that won a championship a couple years ago, and they got one of the best players, if not the best player in the league, in the Greek Freak, as I call him ... and adding Damian, who is motivated, who wants to win a championship, who has given his heart and soul to the Portland area -- I think they should be not so much upset that he's left, but they should be happy for him to get a chance to win."

Scott points out a major loss for the Bucks in the trade -- elite perimeter defender Jrue Holiday -- but he's predicting Milwaukee still makes it out of the East in his absence.

Es un momento difícil para ser un fan de los Blazers, pero el campeón de la NBA Byron Scott, piensa que Portland debe estar feliz luego de que Damian Lillard fue traspasado a los Bucks ¡porque por fin tendrá la oportunidad de ganar!

TMZ Sports se encontró con el ex Laker en el "Celebrity Golf Classic" de KiKi Shepard esta semana y habló sobre el acuerdo que le envió a Dame Time a la escuadra de Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Por supuesto que es un fastidio para los aficionados de Portland ver a su jugador franquicia irse después de 11 temporadas, pero en lugar de quemar sus camisetas No. 0, Byron cree que sería mejor mirar el lado positivo alentando a Lillard a ganar un campeonato con su nuevo equipo.

"Creo que Damian, uniéndose a los Bucks, un equipo que ganó un campeonato hace un par de años, que tiene uno de los mejores jugadores si no el mejor jugador de la liga en el Greek Freak (como yo le llamo) y añadiendo a Damian, que está motivado, que quiere ganar un campeonato, que le ha dado su corazón y alma a Portland... Creo que no deberían estar tan molestos porque se haya ido, sino que deberían estar felices de que tenga la oportunidad de ganar".

Scott señala una pérdida importante para los Bucks en el trato —el defensor de perímetro de élite, Jrue Holiday— pero predice que Milwaukee todavía logrará salir del Este en su ausencia.

The viral golfer who ripped his shirt off and threatened to fight others is no longer welcome at the scene of his bizarre outburst ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The golfer has reportedly been identified as John Reeb, a middle-aged man from Ohio with an extensive criminal history.

We spoke with Heather Ryan, the general manager of Crooked Creek Golf Course in Ottawa Lake, MI, who tells us Reeb is permanently banned from the course due to the behavior he showed in the viral video.

We're told the people Reeb threatened reported him to Crooked Creek staff shortly after the incident ... Reeb was then asked to leave the course and told he couldn't ever come back.

Heather tells us Reeb has also been banned from Cherrywood Golf Club ... another course they own in Ottawa Lake.

A golfer absolutely lost it during an altercation on the course this week ... ripping off his shirt and challenging at least one man to a fight on a tee box -- and the unreal scene was all caught on video.

It's unclear where and when exactly the dispute happened ... but it appeared it went down after a man in a green polo and khaki shorts nabbed someone else's ball.

You can hear in the video, several golfers seem to approach the guy and ask for the ball back ... but the man is clearly in no mood to return it.

"You'll leave after I don't give you a goddamn thing," the guy says.

He and the others trade words for a few more minutes ... until the man blows a gasket -- and challenges someone to a fight.

"I'll plant you, bitch boy," he says. "Now get the f*** off the cart!"

He then rips off his shirt, flexes ... and screams, "You see that! That's a dude that's been to heaven, bitch. And you want to test God? You f***ing come get it, s*** stack!"

After calling the man mentally ill, the group of golfers disperses ... and the video ends.

Un golfista perdió los estribos durante un altercado en el campo de golf esta semana. Se arrancó la camiseta y retó a un hombre a pelear. La bizarra escena quedó grabada en vídeo.

No está claro dónde y cuándo ocurrió exactamente la disputa, pero parece que fue después de que un hombre vestido con un polo verde y pantalones cortos de color caqui le robara la bola a otro.

Se puede escuchar en el video que varios golfistas parecen acercarse al hombre y pedir la pelota de vuelta, pero el hombre está claramente de mal humor para devolverlo.

"Te irás después de que no te de ninguna maldita cosa", dice el tipo.

Él y los otros intercambian palabras durante unos minutos hasta que el hombre explota y reta a alguien a una pelea.

"Te la voy a dar hijo de puta", dice. "¡Ahora bájate del carro!"

A continuación se arranca la camisa, flexiona y grita: "¡¿Ves esto?! Este es un tipo creado en el cielo perra. ¿Quieres conocer a Dios? ¡Ven a buscarlo!"

Tras llamar enfermo al hombre, el grupo de golfistas se dispersa y el vídeo termina.

Golf superstar Phil Mickelson is addressing the rumors that have followed him for years ... coming clean about his gambling problem and opening up on his successful treatment.

Lefty dropped a statement on the matter Monday on social media ... saying while millions of fans will be enjoying their fantasy football season and betting in moderation, he will not -- and it's because his hobby turned into an obsession.

"I wont be betting this year because I crossed the line of moderation and into addiction which isn’t any fun at all," Mickelson said ... adding his financial losses due to his gambling weren't devastating, but the impact it had on his personal life was crushing.

"'You’re here but you’re not with us,' is something I’ve been told often throughout my addiction," Mickelson said. "It affected those I care about in ways I wasn’t aware or could fully understand. It’s like a hurricane is going on outside and I’m isolated in a shelter oblivious to what was happening. When I came out there was so much damage to clean up that I just wanted to go back inside and not deal with it."

Mickelson said some people close to him throughout his addiction were enablers disguised as friends ... but there was one person in his corner who helped him through his darkest times -- his wife, Amy.

"I couldn’t have gotten through this without her," Mickelson added. "I’m so grateful for her strength in helping us get through the many challenges I’ve created for us. Because of her love, support, and commitment, I’m back on track to being the person I want to be."

Phil also revealed he sought professional help for years and is still recovering ... but is moving in the right direction every day without gambling.

American actor Christopher McDonald was in his early 40s when he rose to prominence with his antagonistic movie roles like playing Shooter McGavin -- the cocky, talented and arrogant pro golfer -- in "Happy Gilmore" starring Adam Sandler ... back in the 90s.

McDonald's other notable characters include 'Daryl' -- the controlling husband -- in "Thelma and Louise", 'Ward Cleaver' -- the white-collar workman in New York City -- in "Ward Cleaver" and 'Wilson Croft' -- who steals Flubber from professor Philip Brainard (played by Robin Williams) in "Flubber."

To this day, Christopher McDonald still hops into his 'Shooter McGavin' character when he's out on the green!

El actor estadounidense Christopher McDonald tenía poco más de 40 años cuando saltó a la fama con sus papeles antagónicos en el cine, como el de Scooter McGavin -el engreído, talentoso y arrogante golfista profesional- en "Happy Gilmore", protagonizada por Adam Sandler allá por los 90s.

Otros personajes notables de McDonald son 'Daryl' -el marido controlador en "Thelma y Louise"- 'Ward Cleaver', el obrero de cuello blanco de Nueva York en "Ward Cleaver" y 'Wilson Croft', que le roba a Flubber al profesor Philip Brainard (interpretado por Robin Williams) en "Flubber".

A día de hoy, Christopher McDonald sigue metiéndose en su personaje de 'Scooter McGavin' cuando sale al campo.

Jalen Hurts, Angel Reese and Ronald Acuña Jr. got 'Next' ... 'cause the star athletes were just named to a prestigious Time magazine list naming the future leaders of the world!

The "100Next" list, compiled by Time, recognizes the "100 emerging leaders from around the world who are shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership" ... from sports stars to scientists.

Hurts -- who earned the cover spot on the magazine (there are also versions with singer/songwriter Kelsea Ballerini and Chef Mory Sacko) -- along with Reese, and Acuña Jr. are three of seven athletes to grace the list.

21-year-old Reese led the LSU Tigers women's basketball team to their first National Championship last year ... making history along the way with 34 double-doubles. Hoops great Candace Parker wrote about Angel for Time ... and she phrased it perfectly.

"Angel Reese is having more than just a moment. She’s just getting started."

As for 25-year-old Acuna Jr., the Braves star is the overwhelming favorite for National League MVP ... and future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera believes Ronald could be one of the best ever.

"Ronald? He has a great chance of becoming the best Venezuelan-born baseball player ever. It’s as simple as that," Venezulean-born Cabrera wrote for Time.

Let that sink in ... better than Cabrera. The Cabrera that's hit 510 home runs, made 12 All-Star teams, won 2 AL MVPs and a Triple Crown in 2012. Oh, he's also a World Series champ.

With Acuna, Miggy says it's more than just numbers.

"Ronald is more than just his statistics. He is the kind of player that fans pay to watch play. He can change the game with a single hit, his defense, or his baserunning."

As for Jalen, he's one of the best football players in the league ... and is expected to be in the mix for yet another trip to the Super Bowl this season. Hurts was paid very handsomely in the offseason ... signing a $255 million extension.

Peyton Manning, writing for Time, heaped praise on the Eagles QB.

"He’s not celebrating. He doesn’t see it as a reward. He sees it for what it is: the Eagles are paying him for what they expect him to do now," Manning said.

"He’s a model of how to approach a job. This is where the hard work begins."

USWNT's Sophia Smith, American golfer Rose Zhang, Indian cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur, and Spanish soccer star Salma Paralluelo were the other athletes who earned a spot on the list.

Wild scene out on a South African course this week ... a golfer was stalked by a hyena all the way through a fairway -- though, somehow, the guy managed to keep his cool the whole time.

The tense moments unfolded at Skukuza Golf Club in Kruger National Park ... when a man who was trying to get in a casual 18 was joined by an unexpected visitor after teeing off.

You can see in selfie footage that the man filmed ... a hyena walked up to him -- and then followed him closely for a couple hundred feet.

But, the golfer wasn't rattled by the animal being so close to him ... in fact, he smiled -- and even joked, "Got a new caddie on the golf course."

Eventually, despite getting within a couple yards of the golfer, the hyena turned its attention elsewhere.

While it might seem weird the dude never panicked -- the wild encounter is actually not a rare sight at the South African course ... in fact, just a couple days ago, some lions were seen chompin' on a sprinkler head near a green.

Perhaps LeBron James wasn't kidding when he said he'd play in Saudi Arabia if the bag was big enough ... 'cause the King was spotted in the country, just weeks after he made the comment on social media.

Bron was in Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia, earlier this week. The exact reason for the trip is unclear, but James was seen hanging out in a gymnasium with a banner that said "Welcome to Arabia" and "Ministry of Sport."

LeBron was invited to watch a match between Saudi prospects at the AZM Academy, according to an online report.

So, while Lakers fans shouldn't worry (for now, at least) ... it doesn't seem impossible that James could play in Saudi for a massive amount of money after his NBA career is over.

In July, the Lakers superstar used a Tom Hanks' Forrest Gump GIF to show how fast he'd go to the Middle Eastern company if he got Kylian Mbappe-type money (the French soccer superstar got a staggering $776 million offer to play for Al-Hilal, but turned the money down).

Many fans perceived LBJ's tweet as a joke, but ... maybe not.

LeBron's not alone. We talked to Giannis Antetokounmpo a few weeks ago about the same subject ... and the Milwaukee Bucks superstar told us he'd be down to suit up in Saudi if the cash was right.

Just James visiting the country will likely be enough to spark a debate ... considering Saudi Arabia's history of human rights violations.

Despite the controversy, Saudi Arabia, with their enormous wealth, has lured some of the world's biggest athletes to their country, including Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo. Golfers like Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, among others, also bolted for Saudi.

Zac Efron's got one of the best bods in all of Hollywood ... though he's got some serious competition within his own family.

The actor just shared a series of shirtless thirst traps from a recent getaway to Idaho with his brother Dylan, who is giving his more famous sibling a run for his money when it comes to hotness.

Zac and Dylan both ditched their shirts during a boat day out on Lake Coeur d’Alene, where they showed off their abs and chiseled bodies as they did some wakeboarding.

The Efrons also hit the links for a round of golf ... and Dylan says Zac came out on top ... though Dylan says he got revenge by pushing Zac into the lake.

There are a lot of thirst traps, but also some wholesome family content ... and even some snaps of Zac falling off his wakeboard.

Zac's always been known as a super hottie but his Hollywood producer brother is coming in hot here soo ... so we gotta ask.

Former U.S. Open champ Gary Woodland just announced some scary news -- he's undergoing surgery to remove a lesion from his brain next month ... though he said he's in good spirits despite it all.

Woodland said on X on Wednesday morning he was actually diagnosed with the ailment a few months ago ... though he had initially tried to treat it with medication.

However, he says after talking it over with docs recently, he's now decided to go under the knife to try to remedy the problem.

"We've made the decision that surgery to remove the lesion is the best course of action," the 39-year-old said.

"I'm in good spirits," he added, "with my family and team by my side and so thankful for the love and support of everyone."

Woodland -- who holds four career PGA Tour wins, including the 2019 U.S. Open -- said surgery is slated for Sept. 18.

Big milestone for Brooks Koepka and Jena Sims -- the golf star and his model wife brought their child home this week ... 20 days after the baby boy was born.

The first-time parents shared the awesome news on Thursday ... posing with little Crew at the Jupiter Medical Center, where he spent nearly three weeks receiving treatment in the NICU.

Sims praised everyone involved in treating their son over that tough period ... calling the staffers "angels on earth."

"He's ours now," Sims said.

It's been a long journey to get Crew home after he was born six weeks early. At the time, Sims detailed the agony she was going through, saying, "leaving the hospital without your baby is something I wish on no one."

But, things are much better now ... and the family couldn't be happier!!

In fact, Crew is now getting acquainted with their adorable pup, Cove ... with the four-legged friend already sniffing around as he lay in a carrier at home.